


The Adventures of Azula and Friends

by Princess_Claire_Fey



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Azula-centric, Dai Li - Freeform, Drabble Collection, Ficlet Collection, Fire Nation Royal Family, Firebending & Firebenders, Kyoshi Warriors - Freeform, Morning After, Multi, Murder, Prison
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-02-27 07:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13243326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess_Claire_Fey/pseuds/Princess_Claire_Fey
Summary: Various disconnected stories all involving Princess Azula, involving the past, future - things that should have been, things that couldn't have been, and things that could have been had things been just right.





	1. Ssshh

The sky was a cold blue reflecting off of the harsh earth-wrought cobblestones.

I didn't get to have another taste of the crisp air. Gasping, a hand went over my face and dragged me into an alley as I put up my pathetic struggles. Struggles that stopped with the hidden heat burning at the back of my throat, threatening to close it forever. Rather silly thoughts were thought as I carefully considered what could be my last minutes in this world.

" _Shhh_ "

My body turned around against my will and suddenly I was facing a woman, with a flame small enough to be candlight, carefully balanced on a finger. The firelight flickered against her eyes (gold? the light makes everything look blue) - her sole finger of flame at her nose.

I didn't even notice two the uniformed men appear behind me.

**_Whack_ **

oOoOo

 _I knew I shouldn't have been walking the lower ring at night_ , I thought groggily as my eyes began to open.

After some time of laying against a cold wooden floor, borderline delirious and almost uncaring of my surroundings, my blurred senses giving me reports of men whispering behind me. Soon a whisper raised into a speaking voice as one of the (men?) finished their incognito conversation.

"Get up. The Princess wants to see you"

_Princess?_

After a foot to my stomach I clumsily obeyed. The surroundings were lavish, though false. One thing that stuck out was that the decor was oddly *Fire Nation*. Blood red tapestries lined the walls, displaying an emblem of fire - each doorway accompanied by either a fiery soldier and green-robed agent, one of which stood aside to allow me and my handler passage.

_Dai Li..._

"Hmmm", mused the woman from before, now seen clearly in the firelight, "You're not very we dressed for an employee of 'the great Jasmine Dragon, best tea shop in Ba Sing Se'"

The room heard no response except for the crackle of the electric blue behind her.

"I hear _Firelord Zu-zu _is visiting soon. My dear Jin, I have a task for you"__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by "Shh" by Achristol


	2. Morning After

The sun was already well into the morning sky as the Firelord made her way to her office to begin her day. Her journey was long but short: a slip out of her husband's embrace, a snap of the fingers to create dim blue candlelight, allowing for a look in the mirror as robes were switched, hair tied, and a crown of gold slipped into place, glinting along with the metal on her neck. A careful opening and closing of a door, a gesture to a servant followed by a few words, a dismissal to a hopeless guard who thought he had seen something in the night.

"Oh hi, Azula" greeted the perpetually-happy Ty Lee as she rounded the corner in the green battledress of Kyoshi, some sealed papers in hand.

"Good morning, Ty Lee. Sleep well?"

"I did sleep well. It's great to be back in the palace again, it reminds me of those sleepovers we used to have, where Mai and I would stay the weekend here and play tricks on Zuko" A shared laugh. "Your mother was always nice, and we'd play by the gardens and feed the turtleducks... do you think we can-" Ty Lee paused as she realized with surprise that the Firelord was not only still listening to her long tirade, but was actually giving her eye contact. "You sure seem in a good mood. I don't think I've ever seen your Aura this... pink!"

A frown. "My Aura is _not_ pink, Ty Lee. Now what is it you want?" she snapped.

"Well okay then." Ty Lee said sarcastically with a giggle. "I was bored so I was hanging around Royal Communications, and they wanted me to give this to you. That man is so nice! He said 'It couldn't be in safer-'" She had left. Ty Lee took the turn to frown.

Only briefly - she'd find out the truth behind the mystery aura soon enough. The answer didn't wake with the sun, though - and neither did the Firelord, just this once.


	3. I know so

"Where are we going, 'Zula?"

"Ssh! They'll hear us, Ty Lee!", Azula whispered in response

With a little effort, the pair of Fire Princess and acrobat had climbed the roof of one of the taller palace buildings, entering through a window to an empty room with two doors. One had an old, but obviously sturdy metal padlock.

"It's locked!" Ty Lee exclaimed "How do you expect to get-"

"Be patient"

The Fire Princess pulled two thin strips of metal out of her boot - one with a softly jagged end, one with a bent end - and inserted them into the lock. She started to use the latter to turn the lock and jiggled the former in a very orderly pattern

"Where did you get th-"

"I forged them myself, now I said be patient, that means quiet"

"You made them yourself, like with firebending?"

With a click the lock fell, caught by one of her hands. The Fire Princess let go a long sigh.

"...that's what I said, Ty Lee. Now do you want to see what's inside?"

Ty Lee giggled in response as Azula opened the door, still attempting to be as silent as possible despite her uncontrollable friend

The dusty lamps sparked alight as the pair entered the room, illuminating the room with a blue hue sustained by powerful _chi_ and aged oil.

"Wow, are these..."

"Firelord Hoshi's affects, preserved since the end of her-"

"Oooh!", Ty Lee exclaimed, "The first woman firelord!"

"The _only_ female firelord, Ty Lee"

"...do you think you'll wear robes like these someday, Azula?"

"I know so"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A flashback of a much larger unfinished project. Thought I'd put it here!


	4. Mice

"...the Dai Li are-"  
  
"No, they're not" repeated the Fire Princess dully, exasperated, as she looked down on the pathetic man currently trying to stand on the metal floor of his _prison cell_. "Believing that your agents are still loyal to you as some kind of vast conspiracy against me barely qualifies as delusion. Frankly you sound like you're becoming _insane_ with the prospect of people betraying you"

Silence.

"Face it, Grand whatever," (what a dumb title anyway) "your agents are loyal to power, and I simply had more than you. There isn't going to be a second coup because there's nobody left to replace me. The only man in the world who wields more power than I is the Firelord. My father." said Azula, toying with her talons as if to imply her fingernails were more interesting than the man before her.

Long Feng smiled. "You wouldn't be here unless you were worried about something"

The Princess let go of her fingers, returning a smirk. "An astute observation. I was becoming worried your powers of perception had become diminished. Indeed, I didn't come here to mock your absolute pittance of power, as much as I enjoy doing so."

"...then why are you here?" he managed, having finally managed to stand after dealing with the dizziness that came with being dramatically underfed.

"Oh it's simple really. I'm here to bid you goodbye. My father calls me home, and frankly this city has come to bore me with its dull colors and _lack of passion_ , as much as the throne calls to me."

"And?"

"And I'm here to kill you."

"What?"

That's all it took. A flash of blue - a blade of fire cauterizing the heart, causing the palpitations of the man's most important organ to grind to a halt, the lifeblood of the mind being cut off. Azula smiled as she watched the light in Long Feng's eyes fade to nothing - less so because there was enjoyment in killing, and moreso because there was a certain allure, a _thrill_ to seeing your enemy fall from grace. To be totally and utterly defeated, until the only thing you have left to take from them is their life.

The man was going to be a nuisance anyway. The only way to stop mice from playing when you're away? Kill all the mice.

Any other method is simply window dressing.


	5. First of Many

"Why don't you ever teach me, daddy?" asked the Fire Prince's daughter, golden eyes wide.

_Hm?_

Ozai turned around to his favorite child, who was right behind him grasping his leg with both her arms as he towered over her. She wasn't supposed to be here.

"I used to, when you were younger. You probably don't remember. Why aren't you with master Kunyo?"

Azula decoupled from her Father and dropped into a mock Firebending stance. "He said I was so good, I didn't _need_ any more instruction! Isn't that great daddy!?"

He raised an eyebrow. "He really said this?"

The little royal gave a devilish smirk, not even trying to hide her deception from her father. "No. But he probably wishes he did" a giggle. "It's true anyway. I've mastered the all seven of the forms he wanted, but he won't go on to teach me the advanced set! He just keeps going on about dumb things that make it _boring_ " she stuck out her tongue.

"Dull and boring? That doesn't sound anything like the firebending I'm used to." Ozai crossed his arms. "Why don't you come and show me?"

Azula smiled widely. Daddy was going to watch her firebend! She had to resist acting out like _Ty Lee_ would - daddy almost never watched her practice, he only came when she had one of her many exams. She kept quiet and didn't bounce off any walls - like a good princess would. Instead, she followed eagerly (maybe a little too eagerly) as her Lord Father led her to the Agni Kai arena.

Though what Azula did not know was this was different from any other time her father would witness her; today Prince Ozai would wield a new inquisitive eye when watching her daughter. It had always been clear she was an excellent bender. Even as an infant she just had that _spark_ in her eyes. From here it was only upwards for his little Princess. She learned faster, fought better, even her attitude was that of a perfect warrior princess. With her seventh birthday still some months away, she had already surpassed her brother of nearly nine years. Azula wasn't just a princess, she was a prodigy. The perfect heir that had been foretold. And now, she even showed the passion to surpass those that would take on the role of _Master_. She was everything the Fire Prince wished he was when he was that age.

"Show me"  
  
Azula took a deep breath - this time not just to prepare her firebending stance. She could have any of her instructors or teachers removed on a whim should she wish, their opinions meant nothing to her. Her worthless brother, fuddy duddy uncle, and pincushion mother - all of them didn't matter. _Maybe_ her cousin Lu Ten, someone to look up to, though she didn't see him often.

It was Father's opinions that mattered. It was him who would decide if she'd be a great Firelord one day.

Father said he was the strongest firebender in the world, even grandfather would be no match for him.

And who was Azula to disagree?

Ozai watched his pensive daughter finally begin her forms. Her motions were fluid, something _Zuko_ never seemed to accomplish (or even fully himself, if Ozai was being perfectly honest), though Ozai could see why Master Kunyo said the things he said. Azula fought girlishly. Too girlishly. Her movements were reserved, her fists even sometimes substituted for slender fingers and nails - and it showed in her flames. Each blast wasn't the full plume it could be, they were narrow, controlled - confined.

"...Azula"

The flames subsided.

Daughter turned to father and gave a fist-and-open palm salute, her disappointment only barely contained by her practiced face. Father stopped her. That means something was wrong.

_**FOOM** _

"Firebending is not a dance." he announced, his voice accentuated by the fading orange and yellow of his tower of flame. "Your goal is to destroy your opponent, not make them awe at your movements. For that you need _power_ and _strength_ "

**_FOOM_ **

"Do you understand this?" he asked, his words harsh even though he would never truly seek to dissuade his greatest heir.

"Yes, Father" said Azula, shaken by her Father's words but powered with renewed intent. "But..." she stopped. Contradicting Mom, Uncle - simple. But contradicting _dad?_ The Princess thought her next words carefully. "I do understand" she took two steps back and did the appropriate breathing before curling her hand into a small fist and thrusting forward, her left arm forming a right angle and channeling her _chi_.

 _FOOM_.

A well formed plume, though with the reductions that would be expected with her age. "And why didn't you do this before, when you were demonstrating to me?"

"I didn't need to" Azula said simply. "Master Rin told me I didn't need to" she answered the question she had created.

"Your Master of strategy and tactics? What does he know of firebending?" Ozai questioned.

The raven haired girl took another breath. "Nothing, Father" she explained. "But he did say that in combat there is _jing_. He called it a choice of how you direct your energy. He says that you shouldn't waste all your force in one blow, because that leaves you weak to an enemy attack! And... I was thinking"

"What were you thinking, my daughter?"

"Well... Master Rin tells me about great battles between armies, but in firebending you have _chi_. And I was thinking, what if chi is sort of like jing? Like a choice of how you direct your fire-energy" she cringed at the portmanteau. "I guess... I guess I figured that if Master Rin's strategies can work for armies, they can work for firebending! Master Rin teaches that sometimes the best attacks are small, really focused ones. Like..." She struggled to remember his analogy. "The power of the sun through a magnifying glass"

The Princess took a deep breath and hoped father approved. What if she was wrong? Would he make Master Kunyo teach her all seven forms again? Zuko might catch up and...

"Interesting"

She looked up to a strange look she had never seen before on her father.

"We should do this more often, my daughter"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by @Somewhere_In_Time on AO3


	6. A New Relationship

Azula hit the cold metal floor hard as the bars closed behind her, doing the best to hide her smirk as one would if they had a winning hand in a game of _Gaoling Hold 'em_. Even though she was inside a high security prison deep within the city, with no allies coming to her rescue, the ex-princess and runaway was exactly where she wanted to be.  
  
Or, more specifically, she was now standing before before _whom_ she wanted to find. The one and only _great uniter._ Revolutionary, ruthless warrior, cruel strategist, and currently incarcerated.  
  
There was no mistaking her. Harsh, emerald eyes, dark hair that flowed beyond her shoulders, and the unmistakable form of a warrior. That, and she currently lay in a cell made of a very expensive rare earth metal - one that stubbornly resisted her ability to bend metal.  
  
"I don't recognize you." said the gruff voice of the earthbender, matter-of-factly.  
  
Though the fallen princess wasn't usually in the mood for games, it would be quite some time until she'd be able to leave. Thus she could drop the usual expediency requirements of herself, for the moment. She had to make a good first impression, after all. Plus, slowly leading other people to obvious conclusions was a pastime of the firebender's.  
  
"And why does that surprise you?" Azula asked in a playful voice.  
  
The other woman's brows furrowed, sizing up her new cellmate. She seemed intrigued. "I know every last metalbender in my clan." she stated, again, simply - never taking her eyes off of Azula. "So if you don't bend metal, then why are you in here with me"  
  
Azula raised an eyebrow of her own. A good question. Perhaps this woman was actually half as smart as everyone said she was. _Let's see if she can figure the rest out._  
  
"Unless, you're a plant." she concluded, looking at her new unknown cellmate in a new light. "In which case you're wasting your time."  
  
She frowned. Maybe not quite half.  
  
The real story of how Azula got herself in here wasn't actually that interesting. A few practiced, seemingly uncannily placed throwing knives, plus some swearing of allegiance to the Great Uniter was all it took. Everyone's so high strung these days they'll believe just about anyone is a rebel. She didn't even have to pay an _actual_ metalbender to do any real bending from behind the scenes. They bought a few parlour tricks hook, line, and sinker.  
  
Not that believing she was a plant was an _unreasonable_ conclusion. It was just a terribly _unimaginative one_. She'd just have to open her mind.  
  
"I assure you, I'm not looking for any of your precious rebel secrets." she countered, finally. "Not yet, anyway. Just you"  
  
She seemed to consider that for a moment. The woman didn't quite believe Azula, clearly. But she wasn't about to say so. "Why"  
  
"Because you intend to force the Harmony Restoration movement forward. Prevent the Avatar's Republic City from coming into being." she stated simply, enjoying the sight of the trickle-flow of information slowly savvying up the rebel metalbender.  
  
_That_ , definitely got her thinking. She could see the uniter open her mouth to speak only to close it again, thinking some more.  
  
"New Ozai?"  
  
Azula smirked. Now that was the brain behind the rebels that she had heard so much about. "Your movement makes the Firelord and the Avatar very unhappy." she explained, not confirming or denying her guess. The possibility she had a movement of her own behind her would work in her favor for now. "And anything that works against their favor, is an interest of mine. That, and the rather large reward your friends have organized for your release. Though, if this venture works out, I forsee a rewarding... and mutually beneficial relationship between you and me."  
  
And with that Azula finally got to see the Great Uniter's smile. Oh, the look on zu-zu's face when he hears about this.  
  
Platinum is quite malleable at high temperatures.


End file.
